The Quinn Rule comes to Chicago.
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
The Quinn Rule: If you desert us, come election day we will desert you.
When Democratic Governor Pat Quinn lost by 150,000 votes last November I explained The Quinn Rule. Quinn had the power of incumbency, the support of the President of the United States, Democratic Party leaders and most union leaders. Yet his years of hostility towards the very unions who supported him and his claim that he was put on this earth to solve the pension issue, by which he meant cutting constitutionally guaranteed pensions, meant tens of thousands of public employees and pensioners left the ballot line for governor blank.
Unfortunately the failure to provide a pro-working class alternative to Quinn opened the door for Bruce Rauner.
Yesterday in Chicago it was the same story with a different result.
We are building a progressive alternative in Chicago so that The Quinn Rule meant that thousands of working class Democrats deserted the Democratic Party Mayor in numbers not seen since Harold Washington beat Jane Byrne for mayor over thirty years ago.
That is what CTU President Karen Lewis means when she says we must change the political landscape.
The deal isn’t sealed yet. The run off election between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chuy Garcia is in six weeks.
Can you govern as a Republican and get elected as a Democrat in Chicago?
I’m betting not.
Now for a moment of local pride.
Not only did Chuy get 60% of the vote in our Logan Square neighborhood, but our young Latino Whitney Young high school graduate Carlos Rosa beat the pants off of the incumbent, Rey Colon. No run off. Carlos Rosa will now be Alderman Rosa.
While Carlos was the only challenger to unseat a sitting alderman last night, many incumbents failed to avoid a run off. More can be picked off in April.
Rahm’s $2 million PAC, Chicago Forward, failed to unseat a single member of the Progressive Caucus. Only one faces a run off in an always contentious ward.
Progressive Caucus member Scott Waguespack from Logan Square’s 32nd ward The Quinn Rule comes to Chicago. | Fred Klonsky:
